The present invention addresses heat exchange devices and especially those employing at least one fluid as a heat carrier (e.g., air). In the case of residential air conditioners, the typical performance of the air cooled heat exchangers used for condensers and evaporators is at best marginal from the standpoint of achieving the maximum possible coefficient of performance (COP). The primary physical limitation to the performance of the current state of the art is the boundary layer of motionless air that adheres to and envelops all surfaces of the heat exchanger. Within this boundary layer region, diffusive transport is the dominant mechanism for heat transfer. The resulting thermal bottleneck largely determines the thermal resistance of the heat exchanger. The present invention addresses this issue and offers a practical solution to the boundary layer problem.